Railroad-lantern



(No Model.) 2 snets-sneet'l.

B. M. BARTBAU. RAILROAD LANTERN.

No. 578,909. Patnted Mar. 16, 1897.

I h- C f l1 I c A l of v Arm/m515 UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

EDWARD M. BARTEAU, OF BROOKI-IAVEN, NEIV YRK.

RAI LROAD.LANTERN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,909, dated March 16, 1897.

Application filed Tuly 15, 1896.V Serial No. 599,318. (No model.) l

To @ZZ whom it may concern.' r

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. BARTEAU, residing at Brookhaven, in the c'ounty of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented a new and Im proved Railroad-Lautern of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved lantern for railroad use.

The objectof this invention is to provide an improved lantern which will serve the purposes of three separate and distinct lanterns, inasmuch as in railroading the white, green, and red lights are indispensable and heretofore three separate lanterns have been used. The objection to using separate lanterns is that the lantern of the proper color is not always handy and accidents are likely to occur owing to the fact that the proper color lantern is not used.

The object of my invention therefore, as before stated, is to avoid this objection and provide a lantern which can be readily converted into a white, red, or green light, as desired.

Another object of the invent-ion is to provide a composite lantern of the kind described which shall be exceedingly cheap and simple in construction, one which will normally eX- pose the white light, and one in which the red or green shade can be quickly and easily thrown into position to show a red or green` light as needed.

My invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the colored shade-holders and also in the novel construction and arrangement of the various parts of the lantern as a whole, all of which parts and combinations to be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the cla-im.

In the drawings forming a part of this speciiication, Figure l is a View showing the lantern constructed in accordance with my invention, the 4outer or red shade being raised to show a red light. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is al horizontal section on the line 3 8 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4c is a bottom plan View; and Figs. 5, G, and 7 show details of construction.

In carrying out my invention I employ a wire framework A, which is constructed substantially the same as the wire frame of most lanterns now in use, and at the top of said wire frame is arranged the cap -piece A', which may be of any approved or desired construction. Suitably supported in the lower end of the frame is a metallic base portion B, essentially cylindrical in shape, open at the top, closed at the bottom, and having a central opening B', surrounded by an annular flange B2, and at one side the base is formed with an extension B3, the purpose of which will appear later on.

The lamp C is passed upward through the opening B and rests within the flange B2, as most clearly shown, said lamp being held in place by means of the lateral lugsC, engaging spring-clasps C2, secured in any suitable manner to the bottom of the base. Surrounding the lamp within the cylindrical base is an annular support D, which supports the white shade E, said shade resting upon a ledge or shoulder D, formed upon the top of the support, and said shade is securely held in place and prevented from rattling by means of the spring-clasps F, secured either to the frame or cap-piece and adapted to engage the upper edge of the white shade.

Two upright guides G and H are arranged within the cylindrical base at the side having the extension B3, the outer guide G resting Within said extension, while the inner guide is arranged between the annular support and the lamp. These uprights are rigidly secured to the bottom of the cylindrical base, and in practice I prefer to construct such guidepieces integral and unite them by means of a web, which web is secured to the bottom of the base, as most clearly shown. This construction, however, is not at all essential, inasmuch as these upright guides can be secured in any desirable manner.

Sliding upon the upright guide Gis a shadeholder I, essentially tubular in form and having a slot or groove I', adapted to engage the rib or bead G upon the upright guide G, and sliding upon the upright guide I-I is a shadeholder K, constructed substantially the same as the shade-holders I and having a groove K', adapted to receive the rib or bead H upon the upright guide H. At the lower end of these shade-holders are provided springclips L, in which fits the bottom of the shade, and at the top of said holders are hinged the arms M, essentially in the form of an inverted IOO T, said arms being adapted to fold downward or inward and secure the shade in place upon the holder, said arms being curved in the arc of a circle corresponding with the shade-t0 be held, and in addition to these arms hinged to the top of the holders are the clasps M', hinged also to the top of said holders and adapted to bear upon the arms when folded down for the purpose of holding the shade securely in place.

At the lower end of the shade-holder is formed an enlargement N, said enlargement being formed upon the inner side of the inner holder and upon the outer side of the outer holder, said outer enlargement resting in a portion of the extension B3, as most clearly shown. Such enlargement is formed with a screw threaded aperture, into which is screwed the end of the operating-lever, the operating-lever for the outer shade being designated by the letter O, while the lever for the inner shade is designated by the letter P. These levers are formed of two sections hinged together at Q, the inner ends being screwed into the enlargements N, while the outer ends are adapted to normally be held against the bottom of the lantern by means of suitable spring-clips R.

AIt will of course be understood that the bottom of the cylindrical base is apertured to permit of the insertion and operation of the levers O and P.

Now, in operation, the parts being assembled as described, it is clear that when the shade-holders rest within the base of the lantern the shades will also rest within said base and the white light will be exposed. When, however, it is desired to show a red light, the lever O is sprung away from its spring-clip and made to assume a vertical position. It is then pushed upward through the bottom of the cylindrical base, and as it is so pushed upward the shade-holder I is caused vto slide upward on the outer upright G, and as the holder slides upward the red shade S is projected upward above the cylindrical base, so that a red light shows instead of the 4white light. I n order to-hold the red shade in this position, I provide lugs O upon the lever O, which are adapted to engage a spring-catch O2 upon the bottom of the cylindrical base, thereby holding the lever, holder, and shade in their adjusted positions. Now, should it be desired to show the green light, the lever is sprung away from the catch O2, drawn downward, carrying with it the holder and colored shade, and after the holder and shade are properly lowered into the cylindrical base the lever O is turned up against the bottom of said ba-se and secured thereto. The lever P is then released and swung downward to a vertical position and then pushed upward through the bottom of the cylindrical base,

carrying with it the inner shade-holder K and the green shade T, and this lever is locked substantiallythe same as the lever O. It desired, a bridge piece V may be arranged upon the bottom of the lantern to prevent the levers from rattling.

It will thus be seen that I provide a railroad-lantern'which is exceedingly cheap and simple in construction and will serve all the purposes of three lanterns, thereby reducing the cost for lanterns at least one-third'. It will also be observed that I provide a lantern which can be quickly changed from a white to a red or from a white to a green light, so that the operator will always have the proper light handy, thereby avoiding any accident.

It will of course be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details of construction herein shown and described, as all or most of them can be varied without departing from the broad principles of my invenv tion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

In a railroad-lantern, the combination with IOC) 

